‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ Season 3: Review

This Season sets up a crazy ‘Endgame’ level finale setting up exciting antics in Season 4. Spoilers abound.

Early on this season, Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) must pass the trials of hell to become its new reigning queen. As Ambrose (Chance Perdomo) and Prudence (Tati Gabrielle) hunt for father Blackwell (Richard Coyle) and aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis) try reforming the Church of Night.

We Cover the First Three Episodes of ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Season 3’. Spoilers abound for the first 3 episodes.

The Early Episodes

The story begins by resolving issues from last season. Mostly, the Sabrina and Nick love story as she does her best to save her boyfriend from being trapped in Hell as Lucifer’s bodily host.

Sabrina takes the whole ‘How to have your cake and eat it too’ approach to a new level this season. Breaking the rules out of self-interest, which inevitably leads her to the conclusion that the only way to stop and stabilize Hell is to become its ruler; albeit, by proxy, as Lilith is appointed her steward.

Though early on, we’re still reminded that this is a high school drama. As Sabrina continues to attend high school somewhat avoiding her responsibilities, and Roz and her join the cheerleading squad — including an ‘It’s tricky’ cover that covers the type of camp expected from the series.

Though her reign is still contested, and she’s forced on a quest to pass a series of trials to prove her worth. Sabrina, beating newfound and rather sexy character, Caliban (Sam Corlett), for the title of hell’s leader.

Meanwhile, Nick and Sabrina go through familiar beats on their infinite playlist — their love on the rocks while still arguing about familiar themes. As Nick, undergoes some post lucifer PTSD — effectively leading to a drama that ends their relationship once he sees too much of her father in her (and he’s not entirely wrong given her headstrong gumption and ‘do what I want’ approach this season).

Meanwhile, Ambrose and Prudence try and find Father Blackwell together — the friends with many benefits couple, slowly getting to know one another as Ambrose is appointed the school’s librarian.

It’s all familiar stories that have been explored in some way or another. But once you hit the new characters, by about episodes 4 and 5, we learn about a new original plot involving different types of pagan witches whose interests lie in bringing back the old Gods — implied to be more Lovecraftian in mythos, though also delves into a lot of Greek mythology this season.

The Latter Episodes

We see a common theme of the family calling Sabrina out on her irresponsibility, neglecting both friends and family to pursue the tasks to become queen of Hell. As the Pagan coven, who doesn’t rely on Satan for magic, goes about with a traveling carnival — seemingly entertaining for its guests, save that they’re secretly infiltrating and betraying Greendale and it’s witches. We’re also introduced to Robin Goodfellow, a Hobgoblin who’s got speedy powers that enters a relationship with Theo.

The pagan cult worships a deity called the Green Man (My guess is its C’thulu). Its members consist of Pan, Circe, and a Gorgon from mythology as some of its followers. All for a refreshing and interesting take on some of the established witchcraft, especially post-lucifer. Who seemingly gets away but doesn’t hold malicious intent, as he’s enthused about his daughter’s efforts to finally take her own throne.

This lets the story go into intriguing places. Hilda has a ‘Spider transformation’ thanks to a pagan curse featuring great images of body horror in homage to the 1980s movie ‘The Fly’. Zelda likewise, struggles to keep the Church of Night going as its ruler this season. Needing to find magic and leading the Church to worship Lilith at first, until the inevitable Satanic betrayal. Surprisingly, Zelda is shot by a vengeful Mrs. Wardwell at the worst moment, as she tries to revive her sister.

The Finale

The finale goes places to unexpected places, full-blown opening where the story can go by delving into, dare I say it: time travel. It’s a lot of it is high tension, where a lot of beloved character die. Albeit, temporarily. As a decade passes and the world’s destroyed and hell is surreptitiously emptied under Caliban’s reign. The world having fallen to the ‘Green Man’.

Sabrina must obtain several objects of holy regale to gain time travel abilities, not unlike the infinity stones in ‘Endgame’, needing to undo many of the deaths we’ve seen both onscreen and off. To do so, she must best some of the object’s guardians, including Vlad the Impaler, King Herod, and Pontius Pilot — All three joining team Sabrina to gain the items, as their duties are sworn to never let the objects get abused and let this atrocities come to pass (Which to me is ironic, because Sabrina isn’t exactly responsible with magic either, as we’ve learned many times in the series).

In the apocalyptic timeline, we also see the words ‘Please Lord Deliver Us from Carcosa’ in Greendale, a reference to the setting in the short story ‘The King in Yellow’, which as many Lovecraft fans will recognize, was the short story that inspired Lovecraft’s writings about the C’thulu Mythos.

Sabrina has to time travel to save the day. Conveniently, undoing every single event that unfolded and defeating the Pagan witches before the Greenman is summoned. With Zelda utilizing the power of the witch god ‘Hecate’, the Greek Goddess of magic, as the witches do what they do best and save the world… again.  We also see Harvey, Roz, Hilda, and Prudence get some sweet revenge against those that wronged them and the Church of Night this season.

By series end, we find not one but two Sabrina’s, one high schooler that goes on adventures, and the other, the ruler of hell. Lilith is also pregnant with Lucifer’s child, in an attempt of staying in his good side. As Faustus was given the mark of Cain, keeping him invulnerable.

Theories

Prudence, upset at the loss of her sister, leaves Ambrose. With her and nick becoming a team figuring themselves out together, my guess is that they’ll become a couple next season.

I also see a Sabrina vs. Sabrina storyline next season. As Ambrose warns her not to do stuff like this as time loops have consequences. We also see this symbolized by the falling of the cuckoo clock in the season’s final moments.

Most importantly, we finally see Father Blackwell in this new timeline as he’s able to steal back the time egg introduced in the beginning. He releases an unknown terror from the Eldritch Horror (likely C’thulu, as the Elder God extradimensional beings, for those familiar, exist beyond space-time).

The Take

The story goes into untold levels of plotting to raise all the stakes to the umpteenth degree yet again. There’s a little sacrificed with the story regarding Sabrina’s friends, and there were moments the series felt a bit saturated — though in the end, it was entertaining. Especially by the finale.

8.8/10

You can watch ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ on Netflix